Recipe Corner: Orange vegetable soups

I often create a soup from left over vegetables and pasta along with the broth I save from steaming vegetables. Leftover mashed potato added to broth thickens a soup. Recently I made soup by simmering a leftover large, skinned tomato on low with an onion wedge until soft. I then added a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper, 3 generous tablespoons of cream of mushroom soup (undiluted) and a 14-ounce can of vegetable broth. I put all in the blender and served hot.

Maple pumpkin bisque

6 cups roasted or canned pumpkin

3 cups maple syrup (might use 2 cups or to taste)

1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cloves

2 cups heavy cream (might use half and half or mix with whole milk)

4 cups water

Blend all together in a pot and heat until hot but not boiling.

Ginger, carrot, sweet potato soup

1 pound of carrots, thinly sliced (do not need to peel)

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes

3 cans (14 ounces each) low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon ginger

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons minced green onions or chopped chives

1 can (19 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

In a large kettle combine carrots, potato, broth and ginger. Simmer covered for 10-12 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Add in small amounts to blender with beans and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Heat and serve with mixture of sour cream and onions on top.

Serve with wedges of flatbread sprinkled with Parmesan or Asiago cheese browned under broiler until cheese melts.

Halloween Hint: Wash pumpkins with solution of water and a little bleach to help preserve them. Rub Vaseline on cut out faces to make them last longer. Also, use large water-proof markers or acrylic paints to draw animal faces on pumpkins instead of cutting into them.

Ginger Isham lives with her husband on a fifth generation family farm on Oak Hill Road.